by Andres Mann
“No, I want to kill him myself.”
“I am sure that you do, but this time he is mine. You owe it to me!” He pushed Tess to the side and squared off against Amir. Jake had waited a long time for this. He was finally confronting the man that hurt the woman he loved. He had killed his children and had repeatedly tried to humiliate him. Now it was his time for payback. He had now transformed into a killing machine.
Amir also welcomed a confrontation with the man that had taken Tess from him. It was fitting for two men to battle over a prize. He threw himself at Jake, trying to knock him down. Jake dodged him and kicked Amir on his spine. It didn’t stop him. Now Amir turned into a demented beast, not feeling blows to his body, wildly kicking and punching, nor caring that he was not connecting. Jake kept hitting him. He hit him on his face, kicked him in the stomach, systematically destroying him.
Amir would not give up. He was seeking own apocalypse, relentlessly counterattacking until Jake finally broke his leg. A bone now protruded from his thigh, but Amir didn’t care. He tried to move but collapsed. Then he saw the gun that he had dropped when Tess stepped on his hand and picked it up. Jake had drawn back when Carmen screamed, “He has the gun!”
Amir aimed the gun at Tess but hesitated. He realized that this time he had really lost. He could not bring himself to kill Tess. It was all over. He put the weapon to the side of his head. “Tess, you have brought me nothing but pain, but I have always loved you!”
Jake tried to get the weapon out of his hands, but he was too late. Amir had shot himself.
Tess, Jake, and Carmen collapsed against the wall. The room was a bloody, wreck. The police arrived. It was all over. Tess and Carmen hugged Jake, finally realizing that this was indeed the end of the nightmare. Amir was gone and now they could get their life back.
Chapter 84
Full Circle
Jake received a call from one of Amir’s lawyers who requested a private meeting. Jake was tempted to tell him to pound sand, but the attorney assured him that it would be to his advantage to come to his office.
Jake took a cab and walked through the impressive lobby of the law firm.
He was met by a senior attorney, Paul Towers. “Mr. Vickers, I have been instructed by my client to communicate directly with you and no one else, not even you wife.”
“What is this all about, Mr. Towers?”
“My client is General al-Saadi’s sister, Madame Fadime. She wishes to discuss your possible adoption of the General’s daughter.”
“Since when did she turn out to be so magnanimous? She was part and parcel of her brother’s machinations since day one.”
“Madame Fadime is grieving over her brother’s death and recognizes that it is time to make peace. Doing so is, after all, desirable for all parties.”
“How do I know that this is not another of her tricks?”
“All I know is that she would like a face to face meeting with you and only you to discuss the matter.”
‘Why doesn’t she wish to talk with Tess, my wife?”
“Frankly, she is afraid for her life. I understand that your wife hurt my client in the recent past.”
“It’s a long story,” Jake responded. “Where does she want to meet?”
“For safety reasons, she would like to meet you at her house in Buenos Aires.”
“Okay, I can fly down there with my wife.”
“No. She will only meet with you.”
“I need to talk about this with my wife.”
“Madame Fadime’s conditions are that she will meet only with you and that your wife will not be told of you meeting until it is over.”
Jake was annoyed. “This is bizarre.”
“I am sorry, Mr. Vickers. Those are the terms set by my client.”
“All right, please give me whatever information you have.”
Towers handed him a sealed envelope.
***
Jake felt very uncomfortable concealing the upcoming meeting from Tess. After all, Aara had been the epicenter of Tess’s epic confrontation with Amir. He decided to talk to Carmen.
“Carmen, you are close to Tess, and I need to discuss an extremely delicate situation with you. I need your advice.”
“Jake, you know that you can count on me to do anything for your guys.”
“Fadime seems to be ready to turn Aara to us for adoption.”
“Wow! Did you tell Tess about this?”
“No. Fadime wants to meet only with me and insists that Tess is not to know about this until arrangements have been made.”
Carmen had to think for a minute. She put her hands behind her head, trying to digest the implications of what Jake said. “Jake, this whole mess with Amir started with the girl. I don’t know if Tess can take another shock. What happens if it doesn’t work out?”
“Perhaps it’s best that she does not know about this until it is done.”
“I guess so, Jake. I am sure that Tess would love to have Aara. But you probably need to run when she finds out you worked behind her back.”
“I don’t like to do this, but it’s a chance to get the child. It may help Tess to get over the loss of her kids.”
“I wish you luck, Jake. I will try to keep Tess on an even keel until you return.”
“Thanks, Carmen. You are a jewel.”
***
Jake told Tess that he needed to attend a meeting to coordinate a project in Argentina and that he would be back in a couple of days.
He landed in Buenos Aires in the private jet provided by General Turner. He had brought with him a nurse and Carol, the nanny who had been taking care of little Morgan.
He took the elevator in a beautiful old apartment building in the fashionable Recoleta district and knocked on the door of Fadime’s apartment. She opened the door and smiled. Fadime was still classy and beautiful, elegantly dressed and apparently recovered from her broken arm. She asked him to sit on a stuffed chair next to the couch and offered refreshments. Jake took some juice.
He got right to the point. “I talked with your lawyer in New York, and he tells me that you have a proposition for us.”
Fadime took a sip of her champagne. “I will be brief. My brother is dead and I see no sense in perpetuating eternal hostility toward Tess. I am now in charge of Aara, but she is very unhappy here. Part of it has to do with me; I am not good with children. She needs a mother, and the only person that could serve in that role now is Tess. I know that the tragedy of the relationship between her and Amir was based on the child. I also know that you and Tess lost your unborn child and the son that she and Amir had together. I am sure that the pain of these losses cannot be entirely mitigated. Aara still wants to be with Tess and I am willing to let her go. It’s the best thing for her anyway. I am sure you can work out the proper immigration and adoption procedures. If you accept my proposal, I will turn over control of her trust to you and Tess. I inherited Amir’s wealth and I don’t need the money.
“What about the videos?” Jake was good at keeping track of things.
Fadime reached behind her and gave Jake a box. This the master and the only remaining copy. It’s yours, on the condition that Tess leaves me alone. She hurt me before and I never want to see her again.”
“I am sure that the feeling is mutual,” Jake noted. “Your proposal makes sense. Let’s do it.” Fadime made a quick call and a local lawyer joined them. In a couple of minutes, they signed a few documents.
Fadime pressed a button, and a woman brought in Aara. The child was now seven, still sporting huge doe eyes with pupils as black as onyx. Jake looked at the child. “Aara, do you want me to bring you to Tess?”
The child looked at Fadime, who smiled and waved her head toward Jake. Aara kissed her on the cheek, and then took Jake’s hand. She was ready to go.
Jake and Aara held hands down the elevator. Jake had a bag with some of her clothes. The driver took them to the airport and the plane took off for New York. The nurse and the nanny made sure
Aara was comfortable.
***
Tess’s depression was coming back. She still missed hugging and kissing her little boy. She felt alone and bereft, still breaking in tears.
She heard the latch open and ran to the door. Jake stood on the threshold, holding Aara’s hand. Tess felt her heart miss a beat. She could not believe her eyes. She opened her arms and the child ran toward her crying “Miss Tess!” They hugged, kissed and laughed in joy.
Life had come full circle. In spite of the travails, pain and agony now Tess felt that she now had a new lease on life. She had a new reason to live, to nurture a child again and to love a man that had always stood by her.
***
Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won’t you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer?
Thanks!
Andres Mann
Postscript
Although it is based on actual events, the international political commentary in this book solely reflects the writer’s prejudices and opinions.
The description of the great storm that flooded Genoa and much of northern Italy accurately portrays what happened there in November 2014.
The remarkable efforts of the Italian people to help their towns and cities recover from disaster are a testament to their resiliency and sense of community.
The Fiat 500 really floats.
About the Author
The writer previously was an Army Officer and a business executive.
He is a published author of three management books and various business articles.
His education includes degrees in Political Science and International Relations.
He is now writing the Tess series of adventure books, starting with Tess Awakening and the current sequel Tess Valkyrie. Based on real contemporary events, the stories reflect the challenges posed by international political developments in the Middle East and the issues that professional women experience in today’s world. True to life, his writings cover many aspects of people’s lives in today’s world, starting during the second Gulf War in Iraq and ending in the current era.
Action, intrigue, deceit, obsession, sensuality, the use of wealth to achieve one’s goals and the struggle between corruption and ethics are a constant theme.
This book is also available in print at most online retailers.
If you have any comments, complaints or suggestions, you can reach the author at [email protected].
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